Game chapter 7

It had been well over three hours by now, the chilled underground caverns were devoid of almost all light, except for a few faintly glowing fungus, that grew off the dark craggy walls. Knee high in arctic cold water, Natsuki fumbled her fingers across the slimy stones and moss covered walls of the cavern, ignoring the soggy, wet and slippery feelings, as the moss stuck to her fingers, her clothes were heavy and clung to her body, weighing her down and allowing the cold to seep though and shake her body with shivers, her injured arm ached, the cloth that bound it was dyed red with her own blood.

Behind her Shizuru followed with apparent ease, the makeshift leash Natsuki had tied around her wrists, was held tightly between Natsuki's numb, red fingers and despite the handicap of having no hands, she seemed to have less of a problem than Natsuki did navigating her way through the water.

Shizuru did however seem to be having more trouble with the cold than Natsuki did, her hands looked almost blue as she subconsciously flexed her fingers, and her lips had turned purple from the temperature, the rope had rubbed slightly making her wrists red and raw.

The only sounds where the sloshing of legs through water, that drowned out any drip or other minor sound around.

They were now simply fumbling through the darkness hoping for a way back up the cliff side, in the distance there was the sound of running water, possibly leading deeper into the cave system that seemed to run all over the cliffs.

Natsuki slowed to a halt, in the dim light she could make out a few dark tunnels, the channel of water split into forks and turns, the water glittered as it tumbled over the edges of the tunnels leading deeper into the cave.

Faltering in her footsteps, Natsuki sunk against the cave wall, a ragged sigh fell from her lips, as she turned to her ward.

"Any ideas?"

"We have no food, we have no drinkable water, and we are soaking wet, in a freezing cold cave, if we stop moving we are done for, help will not come for us. I suggest taking the path to where the water flows too." Shizuru's eyes were clouded in a shroud of barriers that guarded her emotions. However her body quaked with chills and no matter how she tried she couldn't of hidden her tiredness.

With a sharp nod Natsuki moved forward, the pretty woman behind her no doubt had more of a idea of what to do in this situation, and as they were stuck together at least for the moment she doubted any kind of deceit.

Taking the lightest rout as suggested, Natsuki found herself venturing deeper into the cave, the stones underfoot were unsteady and Natsuki had to guide both herself and her prisoner down the steep slope.

Her feet dug as deep as they could into the, slippery surface. But that still could not detour a few moments of loss footing.

Eventually the path lost its slope, and Natsuki found herself standing within a high cavern, she tried to take a step forward but felt herself pulled back.

"What is it?"

"Now that we are in a more open area, we should try to follow any draft that there may be-"Shizuru stopped in mid sentence. Natsuki could see the outline of her head perk up. Then Natsuki heard it. Distant but it was there the sound of pained groans.

Natsuki heard Shizuru's 'tsk' as she no doubt recognised the sound.

"Ghouls.. Just what I need." There was a growl in her voice, that held both experience and endless annoyance.

Feeling her heart jump into her throat, Natsuki spun on her heels, face to face with the captive woman, she managed a small squeak of 'Ghouls?' right before the other woman, pushed her to the wall.

"Be silent. Keep to the wall."

Heart thumping wildly within her chest, Natsuki scanned the cavern, although knowing that she was being perfectly still, she could hear the sounds of groaning getting closer along with the heavy sloshing of dragged footsteps, she whimpered slightly, but Shizuru glared at her with her red eyes glinting dangerously, making her swallow the sounds.

Shivering from both the cold and the steadily growing feeling of fear, Natsuki focused on the darkness, the glowing moss doing little to nothing to remedy their situation other than making a few of the exits of the cavern visible, for some reason she doubted that before she came to this world that she would of even seen this much.

She could hear them more clearly now, but as of yet she had not seen them. Natsuki was a gamer, she knew what ghouls where, the undead. Walking corpses like zombies but they looked as though they had been flayed and starved. At least that is what she thought they were.

She could feel Shizuru's body pressing against her, although woman was defiantly more interested on what was actually going on around her than their proximity at the moment. Shizuru pushed her head against Natsuki's her mouth only a breath away from her ear, if Natsuki thought it was impossible to become more tense than she was before she was mistaken.

A harsh whisper ran across her pale skin. "Don't make a sound. They are blind, but not deaf."

With a stiff nod, Natsuki strained to hear, over the heavy groaning coming from the tunnels ahead. When the first figure dragged itself into vision, Natsuki felt her heart drop, she could hear every laboured and rasped breath from the creature. She saw more come into view thanking god for the lack of vision within the dark cave.

They stood mindlessly their shadowy outlines hunched over, as if in constant pain, their guttural groans only adding to this. Slowly they filtered in and in moments there were ten of them.

Natsuki could feel fear bubbling in her throat in the form of a terrified yelp, she swallowed as hard as she could Shizuru's hand over her mouth was like a barrier at this moment. The moment she removed it Natsuki knew she would scream, or whimper, alerting the creatures over.

Minutes.

Hours.

Natsuki didn't care. But as they drew on so did the ghouls coming closer and closer.

Heart beating in overdrive, Natsuki neglected to feel the weight of Shizuru shift unstill it was too late.

Natsuki felt her body being pushed backwards further into the cave wall. Eyes wide she realised with terror that Shizuru's body weight wasn't all that had left her.

In her now free hands Shizuru clasped Natsuki's sword, her hand tightly on the hilt she drew the sword, cutting through the nearest ghoul like a hot knife through butter, the ghoul let out a gasping wail as it's body crashed into the water unmoving, the other ghouls snarled rabidly, their stumbling slow footsteps now replaced with frantic and murderous ones.

Unarmed Natsuki could only stare as the sword danced for Shizuru, it's edge glittering in the faint light. Within seconds the second ghoul fell prey to Shizuru's skilled precision strikes.

The third fell just as quickly, its dismembered head spun as if in slow motion through the air.

In the distance more wails were heard, and Natsuki watched helplessly as Shizuru's head jerked as if to acknowledge the sound, just before she sent a sharp kick to the gut of one of the ghouls, sending it backwards against the last ghoul, before she ran the two through with one blow.

Not even waiting for them to hit the floor, shizuru glanced once in Natsuki's direction, just before she took off down one of the tunnels. Leaving Natsuki alone in the dark.

Thieved of her sword, Natsuki shook more violently than ever, on shaky legs she rose up, taking a second to look at the ghouls mangled remains, she tore after Shizuru. As she ran the tunnel split up becoming maze like. Relying on the faint outline of the women in front, Natsuki was filled with a sense of betrayal.

After all Natsuki had done for her.

Giving her food and water. Even when she was a prisoner.

Natsuki's fear turned into anger. The thing was that even after all she had done Natsuki couldn't deny she hadn't seen this coming. In fact she was surprised that it hadn't happened sooner, given that display of prowess with the sword Natsuki was surprised they had even managed to capture her.

Although her movements from their first fight had seemed more violent and less controlled.

In the distance Natsuki could see Shizuru's silhouette, the women had cut down several more ghouls, as they lay twitching at her feet. Natsuki could see her look down, and remembered a moment from earlier.

I suggest taking the path to where the water flows too.

Looking down herself Natsuki could see the water clearly flowing in a certain direction.

Shizuru was following the water currents they were acting as a guide.

Suddenly from one of the side tunnels a group of ghouls sprung out, their soulless and gaping holes where their eyes should have been were pointed straight in Natsuki's direction.

Natsuki leapt forward to avoid a swing taken at her, before she dashed off, her heavy footsteps were echoed by the footsteps and Natsuki had no doubt that her footsteps were drawing more and more ghouls towards her.

She ran hard and fast, managing to gain a little distance from the following ghouls.

Eventually she came to a stop the water had become deeper and more fast running and she realised she stood at the mouth of a waterfall, feeling her feet slip she jumped up onto one of the platforms that ran alongside both sides of the room, they created a channel for the water to flow. In the walls were numerous holes. Each containing a body.

All around her were the bodies of fallen soldiers, this was a tomb.

Their swords held between their bone fingers, their bodies clothed in ancient armour.

Stood staring down into the rapidly flowing water stood Shizuru, Natsuki could clearly see now the calculating look on her face, one jump and that would be it she would be dragged towards the waterfall.

Suddenly the ghouls burst into the chamber. Some were pushed forward into the rapids and dragged away, but more clung like leaches to the sides climbing up onto the platforms.

Shizuru looked up just in time to see the ghouls enter the room. Drawing closer to the edge, she reluctantly turned.

Natsuki cried out desperately as the ghouls grabbed hold of one of her legs.

Hand outreached she called out.

"Help!" Panic stuck, her body was dragged backwards. "Please! Save me!"

Shizuru paused. She turned and ripped a sword from one of the dead soldiers hands. Unsheathing it she threw it towards Natsuki.

The sword clattered on the ground. Shizuru locked eyes with the wide eyes hysteric Natsuki.

With a voice colder and more sharp than a blade, she called out.

"Prove you are worth saving."

Then Shizuru turned and dived, her body disappearing from Natsuki's view.

Natsuki kicked and lashed out, the naked blade before her shone like hope, and when her cold fingers grasped it she could feel life pulse through her.

Spinning she swung the sword with great force, the ghoul holding her, let go as its head rolled on the floor, franticly she swung again moving backwards, lopping off another's the ball in her throat rose again as she watched as more stumbled through the darkness towards her, which a gut wrenching howl one lunged, she swung her hands up in defence, feeling something burst from her fingers, as if someone had opened a valve, her body was flung back and a blinding white light filled the small room, everything became cold, there was no sound, struggling to see Natsuki, didn't even manage to open her eyes as she landed in the cold water behind her, her body swallowed but the waters gaping depths. She felt as though she were a rag doll as she was thrown about in the current. opening her eyes one last time she met clouded darkness, before her consciousness slipped away.

XOXOXOXOXXO

A warm feeling.A safe feeling?Natsuki's heavy head lay upon something hard, she twitched her fingers feeling the fragile and familiar feeling of grass beneath her fingers. On top of her was her cloak that was surprisingly dry.

Slowly she cracked her eyes open, to meet the blurry forms of the surrounding trees, everything was painted orange from the fire that crackled beside her, it created a little bubble of light and warmth fighting off the darkness that lurked behind the trees.

Her eyes slipped closed once more for a moment, as she took in a deep breath, her chest painfully expanded, and she coughed.

A rustle came from beside her, turning her head she opened her eyes to see the figure of Shizuru, her body hunched over near a tree trunk, her hair still damp in hung over her shoulders, she was wearing only a shirt, that wasn't quite dry, and on her right shoulder rested the hilt of a sheathed sword, her right hand resting on it. Her head hung as if she were asleep, but Natsuki doubted it.

Her doubt was met as red eyes opened and rested on her, letting out not so much as a sigh, the woman's painted smile was once again on her lips.

Natsuki narrowed her green eyes, no matter how beautiful Natsuki found that smile now one of the most unsettling things that she had ever set her eyes on, she could almost feel its superficial kindness seeping through like a crack in a dam.

"So you're awake…"Natsuki stared at the woman, she found herself watching every shift, every movement. Slowly Natsuki sat up the cloak slipped down to reveal the fact that she wasn't wearing much else other than her underwear.

Squawking in panic she pulled the cloak right up to her chin. From her side she heard a musical laughter. Her cheeks filled with embarrassment, scowling as nastily as she could she turned her gaze to the laughing woman.

"Stop laughing." she growled out.

Slowly the laugh filtered from the air. Shifting so that the cloak wouldn't fall Natsuki pulled herself up into a sitting position.

Shizuru was the first to break the silence. "You probably shouldn't get up-"At the sound of concern, Natsuki felt a rush of hot white anger. Adrenalin shot through her in a burst of fury and she shakily shot to her feet, letting her anger out in the form of a horse bark of. "You left me to die!" just before her legs gave way and she found herself once again floundering on the ground, struggling to lift her face up.

With an exasperated sigh Shizuru watched as Natsuki struggled for a moment then locked her calm red eyes with the others livid green.

"I would prefer to say 'I saved myself.'" Shizuru said in a matter-of-fact tone, keeping her gaze on the other girl she dipped her gaze for a moment. "And may I just say that is a daring breast binding you wear. Where did you get it?"

Natsuki's face flashed to white, her head snapped down, realising she had given the other quite the ample view of her cleavage.

"Stop Looking!" she screeched like a banshee, her right arm searching for something to throw at the red eyed woman.

"Okay, okay. I will not look.." she covered her eyes with her hand. "..There, is this satisfactory?"

"Find the nearest cliff and jump off it, then we will be A-ok." Natsuki growled, turning her body away from view.

"That's awfully cold." Shizuru uncovered her eyes a little. "It is not like I was trying to kill you personally."

"No you just left me in a room, filled with the freaking walking dead!" Natsuki spat.

"True, but I did drag you out of the water, and stopped you from freezing to death while the cloak dried."

Natsuki stopped her retort before she started it. And glanced at the older woman. Like a cornered animal, she snarled at the woman. "What-did-you-do?"

"I quite simply saved your life. You fell into freezing cold water unconscious, so I swam out rescued you, brought you back to shore, you were practically blue and I wasn't fairing much better. Unfortunately I'm not as adapt in magic as I would like, so I lit a fire, undressed us both and as the cloak dried I used my own body heat to keep you warm… the cloak only dried out enough about ten minutes ago. If you had awoken then I would of probably been in my arms."

Shizuru was then met with the vision of a cloak smacking straight into her head, the surprise of it sent her head back a little smacking it straight into the tree she was resting against.

"Was that really necessary?" She asked pealing it off of her face, and dropping it to the ground.

"Shut up! You damn pervert! Go fucking die!" Natsuki snapped, as she struggled to get her clothes on, despite having legs that seemed as though they were made of jelly. Jumping around as she tried to get back into her clothes, she once again fell hitting her arm on a tree, shouting in pain she abandoned her clothes for a moment to rub her now sore arm.

"Would you sit down?"

"No!" Natsuki yelled, whilst struggling with her trousers once more.

"Very well, go, run off into the dark woods on your own, never mind about what if lurking out there. I mean its probably only a few hungry predators and you do not know where the nearest town is, or even if your companions went there." With a sigh the elder woman stretched her arms. "Or.. Maybe you will just run into some less than savoury people, such as bandits or slavers… maybe even the black guard again… Miss Yukki is not around this time you do know this correct?"

As Natsuki stopped, she slowly finished pulling on her top, and groaned, with a huff she dropped to the ground ungracefully, her legs sighed in approval of the weight being taken off them. Shizuru nodded, as if to say 'that's what I thought' Making the green eyed girl, tighten her jaw.

"..Fine.. You win…"

Shizuru smiled, she shuffled closer to the fire and threw the cloak back at Natsuki.

"My mission is to bring you in. However given our current.. Predicament.. It is now unwise to make a enemy of you. So for the moment lets make a deal. I will not attack you. You will not attack me."

"So.. You want to make a truce?"

"Correct. I have no interest in dying. Safety in numbers that sort of philosophy."

Natsuki put her finger to her chin, pretending to think about it. "um.. Yeah not on your fucking life."

"You may find that without me, you would not have a life to put it on." Shizuru lectured. "Please do not be difficult. I like this no more than you."

"Given the fact that you have some weird look in your eyes at the moment I find that difficult to believe"

"Hm? What look?" Shizuru spoke dryly, her eyes running over the girls form, Shizuru couldn't deny that she had exaggerated this look compared to her last one.

"That look. Stop it!" Once again the cloak was thrown in Shizuru's face.

Deciding not to give the object that kept getting thrown at her back to the offender, Shizuru rolled it up and looked at the girl across from her. She could almost feel the nervousness seem off this girl in great waves. For the past few hours she had been staring at the girl, trying to pick her apart, she was no rebel that was for sure her skin was too soft her hair too shiny.

The wear and tear on her features were too fresh, she looked as though she had spent the majority of her life in safe comfort, not traipsing about mountains and forests.

She could tell by the way she stumbled about in the caverns and the way she rode a horse. The way she held a sword, and in all honesty Shizuru was ashamed that she had been beaten by the woman in front of her and a farm girl who had smacked her over the head with a rock. Shizuru's hand went up to her head to rub at where the bump had been, cursing herself for getting too involved with the Yuuki fight. However given their pat it was explainable.

In all honesty she was hoping that the girl would be a little naïve. And she had been pleasantly surprised, although she wasn't expecting the extent of the naivety present. It was as if the girl was a newborn just learning to walk looking at the world through wide innocent eyes.

She was trusting to a fault, and Shizuru couldn't help but to think that the girl had incredible luck when it came to the people she had met so far in the world up till now, what kind of place would this girl have to come from so show kindness so freely.

Plus there was 'the mark' she had seen on the girls skin. A sign of favour by the gods, at least that was what the ancient texts from the royal palace had said, as had her tutors when she had been found blessed with the same mark. Strangely enough the girls mark was in the exact same place only on the opposite side of her body. Her fingers gripped the cloth where the mark was situated.

Shaking her head she forced all thought of the ancient text, and legends from her head. Slowly she look in the still struggling Natsuki form, trying to think of the best way to deal with her stubbornness.

Suddenly a loud throaty howl pieced the night, it belonged to no animal Natsuki had ever heard of, her blood curdled and she shuffled closer to the fire, her eyes wide like a feeding gazelle, she whispered. "What was that?"

For a moment Shizuru listened as two other howling voices joined the symphony. "Well I think… that they are Bear-hounds…"

"B-bear-hounds? What are those?"

Shizuru cocked a brow, a bear-hound was a large vicious hunter that preyed on livestock, they were a blight to the towns and villages of most of the east continent, even a foreigner would of known of them. "They are large, with teeth, and they eat meat. Any meat. That is all you need to know."

Natsuki gulped visibly. "They- they won't come near us will they?"

With a practiced smile Shizuru reassured the younger woman. "No. I do not think they will. They stalk the near the villages, or on large game after dark. We should be fine."

"Oh okay." Natsuki relaxed a little, but as the howl sounded a little closer, she froze and shuffled closer to Shizuru.

"So…"

"So?" Asked Natsuki.

"Were you, or were you not going to leave, after you shot down my proposal so cruelly."

"I was- But I-" a gust of wind blew through the trees making Natsuki shiver. With a small sigh the girl relented her shoulders drooped. "… I'll.. Stay with you…" she said reluctantly.

With a nod of acknowledgement Shizuru gave the cloak to the younger woman once more. "It is at least a two day trip to the nearest town. At least that is my assumption, once we get to higher ground I should find my Bearings better."

"Right so what should we do?"

"Well 'We' should sleep." Shizuru spoke teasingly, as she got comfortable.

"Sleep? But what about the wild animals?"

"Do not worry. Even if they get close I will be able to tell." Shizuru curled up beside the tree closing her eyes calmly. Without another word she seemed to drift off peacefully and quickly.

For a moment Natsuki sat, the cloak clutched between her fingers. Only the sound of the crackling fire and the wind made it self known, along with the soft sound of breathing coming from her sleeping companion.

Natsuki sat for a moment contemplating how in the hell she got herself into these messes. Just in the past twenty-four hours she had fallen from a cliff with the enemy, been chased though some ancient burial ground by the walking dead, fallen from yet another cliff and fallen unconscious again, then been fished out a lake by the person who had abandoned her and made a "Ally" out of her.

With a tired, stressed and generally burnout sigh, she fell back. Looking up at the sky, her eyes drawn to the blue light of the energy ball that lit up the night sky. With a passing thought she figured she'd have to ask someone what it was eventually.

She shut her eyes and let sleep take her once more, hoping that the dreams wouldn't plague her tonight at least.

OXO

Hello guys, I want to apologise that this didn't come sooner. I wont use the excuse of real life because even if I was busy there was no reason why I couldn't of just find time to write this. So I am sorry.

Other than that I hoped you enjoyed, I've been trying to improve my writing and have a few one-shots lined up for you guys in the coming months. First one is called Hourglass.

rest assured I will finish this story! And I would actually like to ask you guys if you would prefer shorter but more frequent chapters. You see I sometimes get about six pages in then get stumped and have to stop. So if you guys wished I could write shorter chapters but they would be more frequent. Or I can continue with the whole longer chapters.

Remember to R&R thanks guys.